Where I'm Meant to Be
by cinerisstrange
Summary: Sherlock/Tangled Au/crossover. Princess Joan, Female Sherlock and Moriarty. Nothing ever happened to Joan, until a pirate name Sherlock Holmes found her way into the tower where Moriarty had hidden her for eighteen years.
1. Prologue

_****_**Notes: FEMALE! Sherlock, John/John and Moriarty ahead. **

_This is the story of how I died._

Don't you think that's a little over-dramatic?

_No, it's a fact._

This story isn't just about you, its about **us**.

_Why don't you tell the story then? You've all ready written all of this down in your journal, I thought you'd be sick of telling stories by now._

About you? Never.

_I thought this wasn't about me._

I said this wasn't **just **about you. Now if you're done arguing I'd like to get on with it.

_Well, go on then._

Thank you. Now, this story starts a long time ago. The legends say that a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens, and from this drop of sunlight grew a magic, golden flower that had the ability to heal the sick and injured.

_Oh please._

Sherlock.

_There was nothing magical about it. Moriarty's notes clearly show the flower's powers were a result of a genetic mutation, changing the flower's chemical make up. _

Sherlock.

_The exposure to this chemical in utero was absorbed by the proteins in your hair allowing them to exhibit many of the same properties so long as your hair remained undamaged. The fact that you could only activate the effects through song was entirely psychosomatic._

Sherlock!

… _not good?_

A bit, yeah.

_Well if you insist at being the one to tell this story, leave the ridiculous folklore out of it._

People like to hear a little cultural back-story.

_Why?_

Because they're interested.

_No they're not. Why are they?_

Never mind just please- no more interruptions?

_Fine._

Anyway, legends of this flower spread. Centuries pass, and far from the flower there grew a kingdom. This kingdom was ruled by a beloved king and queen, and the queen was about to have a baby. But she got sick... really sick. She was running out of time, and that's when people usually start to look for a miracle, or in this case a m- golden flower.

Now here's were it gets complicated. An old woman named Moriarty had hoarded the flower all to herself, using it to keep herself young for hundreds of years. But the Royal Guard found it, and it healed the queen. A healthy baby girl, a princess, was born, with beautiful golden hair. To celebrate her birth the king and queen launched a floating lantern into the sky. In that moment everything was perfect. And then that moment ended. Moriarty broke into the castle, stole the princess and just like that- she was gone.

The kingdom searched and searched and could not find the child, but deep in the forest in a hidden tower Moriarty raised her has her own. She had found her new flower, but this time she was determined to keep it hidden.

But the walls of that tower could not hide everything. Each year on her birthday, the king and queen released thousands of lanterns into the sky in the hope that one day their lost princess would return.


	2. Chapter 1

Joan woke with a start from another nightmare. She wasn't sure what caused it, but it was always the same: She was moving quickly through the forest, though she wasn't moving her body at all. It was dark, the world seeming too big, the trees too tall, the sound of horses and shouting in the distance, and an overwhelming feeling of fear and heartbreak. Whatever it was, she was sure that if she didn't get out of this tower soon she'd lose her mind.

She got out of bed and started the incredibly long task of brushing out her hair to begin her daily routine. While Mother was gone she would work out- Mother always said she couldn't leave because she couldn't defend herself, and she wasn't about to let that stop her. She even practiced improvising weapons from various items around the tower. She had near-perfect aim with the sling-shot she made and a mean swing with any heavy object in her hands. The she had to do all the chores, and when she was finished- she studied.

One thing Mother had a lot of was books. Mostly, John tried to study healing, her hair could do anything but she was interested in knowing the hows an whats and how everyone else managed. She wanted to get out and use her powers for good. No matter what dangers Mother warned her she would face, they had to be worth the people she could save. She would not allow her powers to fall into the wrong hands.

And when her mind wandered, which she found herself doing more and more lately, she would write. She kept a journal where her tedious everyday life was surrounded with hopes and daydreams. She was getting restless though. She was going crazy with this life, because nothing every happened to her.

* * *

Sherlock bounced over the rooftops, the gracefulness of her movements highlighted by the nervous clumsiness of the girl following her.

"Um... Sherlock? Why did we come all the way back here for one crown?"

"We've been over this, Molly. Since my brother has started this relationship with the head of the Royal Guard they have redoubled their efforts against my endeavors. They've plastered my face on posters throughout the kingdom and beyond and quite frankly, its annoying. So I thought I'd return the sentiment."

"But why the princess' crown?"

"This single item is under constant watch of a dozen of the kingdom's finest guards- a waste as there is a far bigger hoard of treasure elsewhere in the caste under a watch of fewer men and they are far more alert because of it. Here they know the large majority of them are unneeded so they don't really pay all that much attention, each assuming that someone else will notice if anything happens, making it much easier for us to slip out unnoticed. So much manpower wasted on one object, it's no wonder the guard can never get anything done on their own. People are blinded by sentiment."

"You seemed to put a lot of effort into looking for her, for someone who thinks this is all ridiculous."

"I was interested in the _case, _Molly," Sherlock snapped. "Why, will caring about her belongings help me find her?" she narrowed her eyes, confused.

"Well... no..." Molly replied awkwardly fiddling with the rope Sherlock had finished securing around herself.

"Then I'll continue not to make that mistake," and with that she climbed through the opening into the palace.

Sherlock quickly scanned the guards before turning her attention to the crown- or where the crown should have been. Within moments she located the familiar figure in the back of the room, slipping behind the tapestries. Irene Adler stood holding the crown, slipping it into her bag before blowing Sherlock a kiss, winking, and disappearing from sight with an exaggerated "Muah" sound that seemed much louder in the silent room. The guards spun around to the back of the throne room to see the crown missing and Sherlock hanging above where it had been.

As Sherlock and Molly ran across the bridge and out of the city, Irene raced by on horseback, slowing down to keep a few meters ahead of them.

"Oh don't pout darling it will give you wrinkles. This is your own fault you know. You weren't answering my letters." She smiled. "I needed to do _something_ to get your attention."

"The last time I saw you, you had staged your own death," Sherlock reminded her.

"Well, I'm not dead. Let's have dinner."

"I'm not hungry."

"Good."

"Why would I want to have dinner if I wasn't hungry?"

Irene's focus seemed to shift behind them- likely to the Royal Guard catching up to them, before returning her smile to Sherlock. "Meet me at Angelo's for dinner and you'll find out," she shouted back before turning forward and taking off into the forest.

When Sherlock turned to smirk at Molly she was very red in the face and it was likely not just from the running. "Everything that's happened an it's only eight in the morning. Molly, this is going to be a big day."


End file.
